Tag: Drought

Newsom Issues Executive Order on ‘Water Resilience’ Amid Flood of Criticism

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Feb. 13 intended to protect the state’s water supplies from climate change and the risk of prolonged drought, despite the state’s wettest three-week period on record in late December and early January. The state has seen an unseasonably dry February and could see a return to warm and dry…


California Governor Issues Executive Order on ‘Water Resilience’ Amid Flood of Criticism

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Feb. 13 intended to protect the state’s water supplies from climate change and the risk of prolonged drought, despite the state’s wettest three-week period on record in late December and early January. The state has seen an unseasonably dry February and could see a return to warm and dry…


Newsom Under Fire From Bipartisan Critics Over Trillions of Gallons of Lost Water

California flushed trillions of gallons of rainwater from January storms out to the ocean instead of saving it in reservoirs and pumping it to farmers after three years of extreme drought. Since late December, a series of heavy storms called atmospheric rivers brought an estimated 32 trillion gallons of rainwater to the state, according to…


Scottsdale, Arizona Cuts Off Neighborhood’s Water Supply, Citing Extreme Drought

Residents of the Rio Verde Foothills in Arizona have been frantically hoarding water since the start of the year after nearby Scottsdale cut off their water supply, citing an extreme drought. In an announcement at the end of last year, the Scottsdale Office of Communication said that residents of Maricopa County had been warned multiple times that the water supply was…


Heavy Storms Help California to Almost Eliminate Extreme Drought From State

California, which has been reeling under the grip of drought, has received respite due to the multiple storms that hit the state and elsewhere in the past weeks, helping it deal with drought conditions in several regions and filling up many of the smaller reservoirs. “A long-term drought, dating back to the 2019–2020 winter, continues…


California Plans for Water Shortage in 2023, Restrictions on Outdoor Watering

California expects water shortages heading into 2023, forcing some urban water providers to plan for further restrictions on outdoor water use, according to a new report issued by the state’s Department of Water Resources (pdf). Most water districts will be able to make up for expected shortages but three urban water suppliers—including two in Southern…


HK University Study Finds Older Trees Are More Drought Resistant

A joint study by the University of Hong Kong and Indiana University suggests that top conservation priority should be given to older trees in the forest canopy owing to their exceptional drought tolerance and carbon storage capacity. Furthermore, a diverse forest structure and species composition can also improve the ability of forests to resist future…


In California, Water Worries a Farmer-Congressman

On the road from Yuba City to Chico in the northern half of California’s heavily agricultural Central Valley, it’s hard to stop thinking about water—especially during election season. Political signs advertise candidates’ positions on the issue, an indication of its virtually unmatched importance to the people and communities between the Sierra Nevadas and the California…


Commercial Barge Lines Struggle As Drought-Stricken Mississippi River Levels Plummet

OSCEOLA, Arkansas—Jeff Worsham is a realist regarding the weather because he believes what he sees. That the regional drought is a bad one, getting worse, is beyond dispute. The Mississippi River is at the lowest it’s been in decades, he said. Worse, the barges are backing up because of it, running aground, and wreaking havoc…


19th Century Sunken Ship Revealed by Low Water Levels in Mississippi River

BATON ROUGE, Lousiana—An old Cajun memory of the Mississippi River has been uncovered by lowered water levels amid the worst drought the area has seen in a decade. A sunken ship from the 19th century emerged as the drought persisted, bringing to light what was once known as the S.S. (Steam Ship) Brookhill commercial ferry…